FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s Thatha found the handsome small idol of Hanuman at the Trichy Railway Yard and built the temple just under a 100 years ago
The Grand Hanuman Jayanthi will be celebrated on January 11 with One Lakh and Eight Jangiris and Vadais
Invoking Hanuman's blessings here has now become a regular exercise with those seeking a job overseas
On January 11, the popular and powerful Hanuman temple in Kallukuzhi at the east end of the Tiruchirappalli Junction will see the Grandest Celebration of the year. For almost the last century, the Hanuman Jayanthi has been celebrated in a big way with a street procession in the evening around the railway colony. On the 26th day of Margazhi, Hanuman will be decorated with one lakh and eight Jangiris and Vadais such has been the support from the devotees. The moolavar deity is seen with the Sanjeevi Hill in his hand and a curved tail that has a small cute bell at its tip.
With the temple undergoing a renovation exercise, there will not be a street procession on the occasion and it will be restricted to a procession inside the temple complex. From the quiet temple with just the Hanuman Sannidhi just under a century ago, this temple has expanded now to multiple sannidhis. In the 1940s, Murugan and Pillayar Sannidhis were added. At the turn of the century, the Pandurangan Sannidhi was built in the location where Hanuman was originally consecrated. In 2007, as part of the previous renovation exercise, Chakkarathazhvaar and Navagriha Sannidhis were built and this led to more devotees visiting the temple.
The current Thiruppani works will see the entire flooring sparkling with new marble in line with the modern trend. The Gopuram and Vimanams will be painted afresh. The Dhyana Mandapam on the Western side is being rebuilt. Over the last decade or so, the temple has also been offering annadhanam at noon each day of the year in a big hall behind the Hanuman Sannidhi. The entire renovation exercise is taking place through support from the devotees. The consecration is slated for the third week of January.
A battle between HRCE and the Railways
However, there is a battle brewing between the HR & CE and the Railways. A few decades ago, the HR & CE took over the temple in controversial circumstances. This temple is within the land belonging to the Railways and there has been a tug of war between the two. The once popular Railway Quarters east of the temple is in a deserted state now. In the century gone by, this area housed the entire staff of TPJ (Tiruchirappalli Junction). The railways is planning to demolish the quarters and build new complexes. The Hanuman temple is located between the Trichy Railway station and the Railway Colony. The dispute between the Railways and the HRCE is not likely to see an end soon.
FM Nirmala's Thatha found the idol just under a 100 years ago
The consecration of the Hanuman idol has an interesting history to it connected with an event in the life of Narayana Iyer, the grandfather of the current Finance Minister Nirmala Seetharaman. He lived in Kallukuzhi for several decades and had a soft corner for the deprived in the society. During his life time, he performed the Anatha Pretha Samskara for the orphans in that area.
It was he who found the idol of Hanuman, built a small temple east of the railway station that has now become highly popular with devotees in Trichy. In a conversation with this writer, the FM recounted the role of her Thatha in the consecration of the idol in the 1920s “My Thatha anchored the construction of the goods yard at the Trichy Railway Station (he also built the yard at Punalur). While his team was digging the earth at the Trichy Junction as part of the yard building exercise, he found this handsome little idol of Hanuman. He sought permission from the Railway officials to install the idol near the station.”
Back then, Tiruchappalli Railway Station (headquarters) was one of the most developed railway stations in Southern Railway (South Indian Railway) boasting a huge staff strength. After the consecration, the entire employee base began visiting the temple invoking the blessings of Hanuman.
The FM's devotional engagement with Hanuman in the 1970s
After her schooling in Villupuram and Chennai, Nirmala moved to Kallukuzhi in the early 1970s and lived a few hundred yards away from the temple. During that decade, she visited the temple at least twice every week, on Thursday and Saturday evening. She delightfully recalls those glorious days of her devotional engagement with Hanuman "There were lot of friends my age and we used to go together to the temple and recite Hanuman Slokas. Vadai Malai was a regular feature at the temple and when the priest handed us the Sacred Vadai, we would go back home and give a small piece to each of our family members. It was a great devotional experience and I enjoyed every moment at the temple. Even though it was only a small temple and the idol was a very small one, it was very powerful. My eyes stayed devotionally glued to Hanuman. I particularly remember the priest being very sincere and performing pooja with great devotion. ”
“The ‘Sendhooram’ Prasadam (the special orange coloured ash of Hanuman) was presented to us. We picked it up on our ring finger and sported it that on our forehead. It gave us a very positive feeling.”
The Bhattar’s daughter and Nirmala studied in the same school and college and were close friends for many years.
Hanuman Jayanthi and Mandagapadi
Nirmala also vividly remembers the grand celebrations on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanthi “Till his very end, my Thatha ensured that the mandagapadi on Hanuman Jayanthi went on well. We would all wait for the Lord to arrive on the procession and the entire Kallukuzhi First Street was decorated ahead of His arrival. It was a great moment every year to welcome Hanuman into our homes on his birthday."
She recalls the presence of eminent personalities in Kallukuzhi during the 1970s “Tamil Professor Balasubramanian took great interest in us and taught me Kamba Ramayanam. The agent of Swadesa Mitran also lived in Kallukuzhi. Jayendra Saraswathi’s parents lived in Kallukuzhi and my Thatha interacted with his appa quite closely.”
Happy Memories of Kallukuzhi Hanuman
Into the 1980s, soon after her graduation, Nirmala moved to Chennai and she hasn't been back at the temple since then but the memories of her presence at the temple from those teenage years are still fresh
“There was great devotional vibration when I stood in front of Hanumar. The celebration of Hanuman Jayanthi, the Mandagapadi and the devotional experience of hosting Hanuman at our home, presenting the Sacred Vadai to our friends and relatives and the colourful Sendhooram ash left a big positive cultural and social impact in all of us .”
Four Decades Kainkaryam
56 year old Selvi has been performing kainkaryam at the temple for four decades since the time she was a teenager. Her appa served as a load-man in the railways. She moved to Kallukuzhi from Manaparai afterwards marrying her uncle and has been serving at the Hanuman temple ever since. She started out when this was a private temple managed by Sriram Naidu, a Railway staff.
She donned the role of a sweeper and it was thanks to her efforts that the temple always remained clean. Her husband passed away early and it was her devotion to Hanuman that led her to continue her service at the temple and bring up her daughters. After a decade of this kainkaryam as well as ‘Thiru Vilakku’, she took to the role of selling flowers and taking care of the chappals and vehicles in front of the temple. In those early years, she would get Rs. 5 per cycle parked in front of the temple and fifty paise for every pair of slipper left behind by the devotee. She lived in a hut in the far end of the temple complex before renovation and expansion of the temple led to her moving away to a rented home away from the temple complex.
She recalls the period from those early years“I found great satisfaction in serving Hanuman right from my childhood days when I used to visit Kallukuzhi. Hence despite the financially challenging times, I wanted to dedicate my entire life to this temple. I would go and hand over prasadam to the North Indian devotees in the Bazaar and they presented some money for my devotional service.”
She is hoping to spend the rest of her lifetime in service to Lord Hanuman. Her son too has secured a night watchman job at the temple and she is happy that her next gen too is involved in temple Kainkaryam.
The Devotional Wave - Hanuman who sends devotees Overseas!!!
The devotional wave has hit this temple big time with the crowd increasing manifold in recent decades. From 100 odd devotees in the century gone by, thousands now visit the temple. Interesting, Kallukuzhi Hanuman has come to be positioned as one who answers devotees’ prayers with overseas job opportunities. This belief has led to devotees thronging the temple in large numbers especially on Saturdays.
Come end of January, the temple will sport a grand new look. A lot has changed in the area around the temple. The temple complex itself bears no resemblance to what it was in the 1970s when this writer too grew up in the colony near the temple. The historical railway colony and the quarters there could soon become a thing of the past. May be before then one day in the near future, the FM too would re-visit Kallukuzhi and have darshan at the temple in its new avatar.